A beginner’s guide to Twitter
You’ve mastered Facebook and even Instagram (if not, check out how to with our guide) and now it’s time to conquer the world of Twitter. Here’s what you need to know to get started.
What is Twitter?
Twitter is a fast-moving information network made up of 140-character messages called “tweets.” Unlike other social networks like Facebook, Twitter is not about connecting with people you know (although you can do this) but about following people and organisations that interest you (such as news sources, politicians, comedians, TV shows, celebrities etc). It’s an easy way to discover the latest news related to subjects you care about in real-time and in a short digestible form. Just think of it like reading a newspaper with headlines you’ll always find interesting as you only follow users you want to follow!
How to create an account?
It’s completely free to sign up to Twitter. Head to the Twitter homepage here and create an account. Pick a username (you can change it later so don’t worry too much) – it could be your name if it’s a personal account or your business name for your brand.
Twitter will take you on a tutorial to teach you the basics – don’t skip this part if you’re feeling a bit unsure about the process. Next, they’ll ask you to start following people. You can do that now or look for people to follow later (or anytime). Just remember that unlike Facebook where you are normally real life “friends” with people, on Twitter it is perfectly acceptable and in fact normal to follow people you don’t know but interest you.
Now that your account is set up you can edit your profile. Much like Facebook you can upload a profile picture, a header image and include a little description of yourself. Check your settings to see if everything is set up accurately.
Twitter terms you need to know
Tweet - The 140-character message you read from people you follow or “tweet” out to your followers. Twitter users will often link to an article, image or video in a tweet which you click on to find out more.
Following – These are the users you have chosen to follow by clicking “follow” on their Twitter page. It means all their tweets will show up on your news feed.
Followers - These are the people who have chosen to follow you.
Retweet or RT - Re-sharing someone’s tweet to your own followers. You can retweet someone’s tweet by clicking on the two arrows on the bottom of someone’s tweet.
Feed - The stream of tweets you see on your homepage which is made up of people you follow. When you have followed a few users, you’ll have a new page of information every time you log in to your homepage.
Handle - Your username
Mention – You can mention other users by including the @ symbol followed directly by their username. For example, @oversixty60. Mentioning someone ensures they will be notified of your tweet.
Direct Message or DM - A private message between two people. You may only DM a user who follows you
Hashtag (represented by # symbol) - A way to indicate a topic of conversation or participate in a larger linked discussion. For example, you can participate in ABC’s Q and A program by including the hashtag “#qanda”. If you mention them as well (@qanda) you could be retweeted on the show! A hashtag also allows other users to find your tweets even if you do not follow each other. You can click on a hashtag to see all the tweets that mention it in real time.